Other Whales

While Humpback Whales provides the most excitement on Stellwagen Bank, they are not the only whales you can see in the area. Minke Whales and Fin Whales are seen on almost every trip. Pilot Whales spend the summer further offshore and are usually seen on Stellwagen Bank in late fall.

Finback Whale The Fin or Finbacked Whale is the fastest of the large whales and the largest whale except for the Blue Whale. In this close shot of a Fin Whale notice that the blow does not appear to be a double spout. All the baleen whale have a double spout. Photograph by Steve Mirick and used with his permission. Photo remains the property of the photographer.

Minke Whale Smaller than either the Humpback or the Fin Whale, the Minke Whales rarely spends much time on the surface. Notice the sickle shaped dorsal fin. Sometimes breaches.

Pilot Whales Usually seen offshore in summer and not on Stellwagen Bank until fall. This photo was taken on the June 28 BBC pelagic to Atlantis Canyon by Christopher Ciccone (CNCiccone@comcast.net).  See his blog  http://www.picusblog.com/
	The dorsal fin of the Pilot Whale is wider than it is tall.  Photographed by Emmalee Tarry.

Cuvier's Beaked Whale Eleven of these unusual whales were seen on the 2001 June CORE 3 day trip to the canyons of the Continental Shelf south of Nantucket.